The present invention relates to an electrical connector comprising a molded base and having a plurality of contact members which may project from and retreat into the molded base as is appropriate. The present invention in particular relates to an electrical connector suitable for electrically connecting electronic devices including ROM devices for example.
An example of a connector in the prior art will now be described with reference to FIG. 1. In the arrangement of FIG. 1, a predetermined number (7, for example) of metallic contact members 54 are arranged in a plastic molded base 52. In this arrangement, these contact members 54 are arranged in parallel and may retreat into and may project from the molded base 52 as is appropriate. These contact members 54 are pressed against a respective number of opposite contact members 64 provided in an opposite connector 60. As a result, the contact members 54 retreat into the molded base 52 accordingly so that the connectors 50 and 60 are connected to one another and cooperatively achieve electrical connection therebetween.
In the electrical connector 50 of the prior art, each of the contact members 54 projects from the molded base 52 with the same projection length H. Accordingly, when the connectors 50 and 60 are connected to one another, each contact member 54 comes into contact with the corresponding contact member 64 simultaneously.
Normally in an electrical connector having an arrangement such as that of the connector 50, the contact members located at both ends among the contact members 52 are used for grounding and the remaining contact members are used for transfer of signals.
These connectors 50 and 60 are provided in respective electronic devices and the respective devices may be charged with an electrostatic charge, for example, undesirably in general before the two connectors are connected to one another. Such an electrostatic charge, for example, may act to damage ROM devices contained in the electrical devices when the connectors are connected to one another where all the contact members 54 and 64 come into contact simultaneously as mentioned above. Such an electrostatic charge, for example, may also cause malfunction in the devices.